Zen and the Art of Writing

About us

Join Hemingway award-winning author and Zen teacher Sean Murphy and freelance writer, editor, and author Tania Casselle for this all inclusive retreat, as they share their extensive bag of tricks for opening the creative flow, bypassing the inner critic, and accessing your true source of creativity.

We’ll explore how meditation, mindfulness, yoga, free-writing and other approaches can stimulate the natural flow of the creative process and open the mind to new possibilities, with special emphasis on finding or deepening our most natural writing voices.Most importantly, we’ll rediscover the freedom, playfulness, and joy that made us want to write in the first place. Our emphasis will be on the creative process and on encouraging all participants, whether beginning or experienced, to develop their own writing styles within a supportive and inspiring environment.

This is a process-oriented rather than a critically-oriented workshop, open to everyone from beginners to experienced writers, meditators, and yoga practitioners who want to write or simply wish to explore the contemplative side of the creative process.

Some periods will be spent outside with close observation exercises, walking meditation and mindfulness practices in the naturally inspiring environment of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, to enhance awareness of the sensory details that build mindfulness and supply the raw materials of our writing.

Retreat Takeaways

Overview of meditation and mindfulness practices and how to apply them to the creative process

About the
Venue and Teacher

WELLNESS, MINDFULNESS AND YOGA RETREATSTime to hit the reset button? Lake Louise, Canada, is the the ideal location for some "me time". Our wellness and meditation retreats will help you de-stress and reconnect with yourself, while the serene nature of the Canadian Rockies will restore you. There is no better way to find balance, be mindful and remember to breathe.

Sean Murphy has had over 25 years of formal Zen training, first under the direction of Taizan Maezumi Roshi of the Zen Center of Los Angeles and then with John Daido Loori Roshi of Zen Monastery in upstate New York. He now studies with Gerry Shishin Wick Roshi of the Great Mountain Zen Center in Colorado. He teaches meditation, creative writing and literature for UNM-Taos and has taught and presented on Zen practice and meditation for 15 years. He is the founder of the Sage Institute for Creativity, Consciousness & Environment.

$1855

Thank you!

Why Retreat?

We asked people why they go on retreat, here's what they said:

This sounds like a dream! I am an education student and I have spent way too much time working all summer to pay for school. My boyfriend of 5 years is a government firefighter and has been away working most of the summer. His 30th Birthday and our 6th anniversary is coming up this winter, we would love to celebrate with a yoga retreat! We both love yoga but have barley had time to practice in the past few months. Keeping our fingers crossed!
Jaimee and Dan

Retreat Guru's Vision

We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.